Good leadership requires more than knowing where you are headed. It requires knowing how you are going to get there. If you don’t know the hours, people, and money needed to accomplish something, how will you ever decide whether this is a worthwhile pursuit?

Planning is not about not failing. Planning is about making sure you are working on the right things at the right time. Planning is about stewarding resources well. There is almost always more at stake than you realize. Good planning will lead you to say “no” to the right things.

This means that you will not waste time spent planning, but you will waste time, energy, resources, and opportunities if you don’t. Leaders give the time and energy necessary to plan, because it is that important.